Great Speeches of 20th Century [Box set]

Great Speeches Of The 20th Cen | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 24, 1991)
• Original Release Date: October 1, 1991
• Number of Discs: 4
• Format: Box set
• Note on Boxed Sets: During shipping, discs in boxed sets occasionally become dislodged without damage. Please examine and play these discs. If you are not completely satisfied, we'll refund or replace your purchase.
• Label: Rhino / Wea
• ASIN: B0000032HG
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #53,579 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Farmer and the Republican Party

2. Address to the American Indians

3. Address to the Boys' Progressive League

4. Inaugural Address

5. Inaugural Address

See all 21 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. First Recorded Promotional Message on the Edison Phonograph

2. The German Peril

3. Address from France

4. On Lindbergh's Return to the United States

5. Abdication Address

See all 18 tracks on this disc

Disc: 3

1. The Ideal Republic

2. The Future of Women in Flying

3. Address to the Nation on the R.A.F.

4. Greetings to the Children of England

5. Farewell to Baseball

See all 13 tracks on this disc

Disc: 4

1. Address on U.S. Neutrality

2. Address to the Chicago Irish Fellowship Club

3. The Kitchen Debate

4. Concession Stand

5. On Black Power

See all 10 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Students and teachers of history, enthusiasts of speechmaking, and folks needing something different to spice up those mix tapes with will enjoy this inspired four-disc tour of a century. It's a bit heavy on events a baby boomer is most likely to be interested in, but there's nothing wrong with knowing one's audience. For the most part, these recordings make 20th-century history appear to be happening right now. It might sound clichéd, but it really is a thrill to hear history in the making: Woodrow Wilson lying to the American Indians, Gloria Steinem addressing the National Organization for Women, the launch of sputnik, Dr. King delivering the "I Have a Dream" speech with intense clarity and emotion, Kennedy delivering his infamous address to the nation after being sworn in, the very first recording ever made on an Edison phonograph, Nixon resigning in shame, Hitler hatefully ranting about Germanic expansionism, Malcolm X powerfully speaking on black power, Babe Ruth saying good-bye to baseball, and Neil Armstrong uttering those famous words as he first steps onto the moon. --Mike McGonigal

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Good Collection That Could Have Been Better, September 16, 2002

By 

Rob Lincoln (Mt. Laurel, NJ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Great Speeches of 20th Century (Audio CD)

This 1991 box set, put together a bit after the Persian Gulf War is an important document of American History. All in all, Great Speeches of the 20th Century is a good collection that could have been even better. It in fact includes many of the great speeches of the 20th Century. It begins with the 27th president, William Howard Taft, and includes all of the 20th century presidents up until 1991 with the exception of McKinley, Harding, Hoover and Ford. But the presidential speeches are not the highlights of this collection. Dr. King's "I Have A Dream Speech" rightly stands out as the finest oration on the entire 4 disc set. However, his final speech given in Memphis the night before he was murdered, including the immortal words "I Have Been To The Mountaintop," is nowhere to be found. That is an unfortunate omission. A more substantial offering from Malcolm X, besides his one minute comment on Black Power, would have also improved this set. My biggest criticism though is not with the selection, but with the editing and liner notes. Some of the edits massacre the speeches-the worst is hearing the few second snippet of Gehrig's fairwell spreech to baseball. On the other hand, a number of key speeches are given in their entirety and they are really powerful-the brilliant and insightful Eisenhower farewell speech should be heard by every American in its entirety at least once- it is still highly relevent today. My beef with the liner notes is that they give short shrift to certain speeches that are really extraordinary. It doesn't even mention the context in which RFK delivers what stands out as perhaps the greatest off the cuff speech in American History. Hearing it and knowing the emotional context is almost worth the price of the 4 cd set itself. It is even more impressive in the context of all the other "great speeches" that were carefully crafted. My only other beefs are that I would have included a more articulate speech than Jerry Rubin's to represent the anti-war movement- it makes Spiro Agnew sound like a brilliant stateman- and I would have included Nixon's final farewell to the White House staff, which is a very revealing and fascinating speech. Still, all criticisms aside, Great Speeches of the 20th Century is a good collection- and it is really neat to hear the voices of Teddy Roosevelt, Taft and Wilson. Now if we only had a recording of Lincoln....

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great classroom resource, May 14, 2004

By 

B. R. Benson (Sacramento, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Great Speeches of 20th Century (Audio CD)

This is a must for any US History teacher. It's one thing to read a landmark speech, quite another to hear it as you read along. Studying history is much more interesting when students can "touch" "hear" "see" it. To have the actual voice putting inflection and feeling to the words makes it more memorable. Students today are so visual that merely listening to the speech is ineffective. (trust me, they will fall asleep.) Hand out a printed copy of the speech for them to read along with and highlight key points. It's also helpful when students are taking the AP US History exam to be able to quote speeches in their DBQs.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Anthology of Forgotten Talent---, January 28, 2005

By 

J Keistler "[e-mail]" (Lake Jackson, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Great Speeches of 20th Century (Audio CD)

Particularly in this day of manufactured charisma on television, great public speaking has become a lost art--look at what we are using for President right now! This set will serve as a reminder of what we used to enjoy, particularly on the political scene. Certainly, a Franklin Roosevelt or a John Kennedy only comes once in a great moon and this is an opportunity to remember what we have had, and lost. I have had this set for several years and my only regret is that it isn't longer; I suppose for practicality's sake the entire texts of the speeches couldn't be included. Sound quality is remarkable, particularly for the old pre-electric recordings. It will probably be a surprise to many to actually hear the pre-FDR Presidents speak; again, they were not homogenized in the manner popular now.

This is a great 'starter' set for those who enjoy the spoken word for its own sake.